Steps to Take After an Accident to Secure Fair Compensation

Accidents happen. And when they happen, they can sometimes be nasty. Whether you’ve been unlucky enough to be caught in a road traffic accident as a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian, you’ve suffered a workplace injury, or you’ve suffered a trip or slip in a public place, the difficulties and strife inherent to handling the accident and your recovery are somewhat alike – as is your right to monetary compensation.

Here, we’ll be exploring the steps you should take in the aftermath of an accident that wasn’t your fault. Despite some small differences, the process is generally the same from accident to accident, including your route to claiming damages.

1. Immediate Actions Post-Accident

Whatever the accident and whatever its cause, your first priority is, and should always be, your own health. However benign your injury may initially appear, it is vital that you get medical attention in order to receive appropriate treatment – and also to ensure you start a paper trail with respect to the accident and your injuries suffered.

If you’ve not suffered an injury in a public place, chances are there’ll be someone you need to report your accident to. As a motorist, this would be your insurer; as an employee in the workplace, it would be your employer; as a motorist on the clock, it would be both. Regardless, you ought also to inform the authorities.

2. Gathering and Preserving Evidence

In any accident situation, it would also behove you to record evidence of your accident and the events that led up to it. Evidence can take many forms, from photos of the location of the accident to dash-cam footage from yours or another’s vehicle, or even CCTV footage of the accident as it happened. Witness statements are also invaluable for you, as they can help paint a more three-dimensional picture of proceedings. These, coupled with your medical records, are key for what comes next.

3. Navigating Legal Procedures

This is because ‘what comes next’ is a personal injury claim against the party liable for your accident. In a road traffic accident, this would be the motorist responsible for causing the accident (or, more accurately, their insurer); in a workplace injury, this would be your employer; in a public slip or fall, this would be the party responsible for the premises, i.e.: the council where loose paving or manhole covers are concerned.

Approach a solicitor with your evidence, and they will notify you if you have a valid claim or not. Be sure to do this within three years of your injury, else you will time out of being able to claim.

4. Calculating Potential Compensation

The amount of money you may be able to claim for will depend heavily on a number of variables, from the extent of your injuries to the amount of time spent out of work and far, far beyond. A claims calculator can be a handy start for getting to grips with the amount you could be able to claim. However, you would be best served consulting with a solicitor in person if you want to nail down a number; just make sure to set realistic expectations first, particularly with the knowledge that your solicitor will be taking a cut of the proceeds after a victory.

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